Nursery asking for £2hr contribution for funded child which doesn't include food

[Ivybaker123]

Hi,

I'm looking to send my son to nursery in September when he will get funding, the nursery is based in my daughters school so it would be ideal for him to go there as it would make my life easier as I don't drive, I can drop them off and pick them up together instead of travelling else where.

My issue is even though he will get funding their asking for a £2hr contribution and to either take them in a packed lunch or pay more for a hot meal. This seems alot to me seeing as he's suppose to have free funding. My daughter went to a different nursery and they only charged £5 a day including there lunch. Does anyone else get charged this much at their child's nursery?

Free funding doesn’t exist. The government’s contribution is less than the amount required to offer your DC a place at the nursery. The nursery either asks for an extra amount from parents, doesn’t offer funded places or closes down as it’s not financially viable.

Then the setting will just close down.

And that is a win for who?

The problem is that they are contributing to the costs, very much NOT covering the whole lot or even close, but then referring to it in every official communication as though they are covering the whole lot. People who don't actually have children in the system would absolutely gather from what the government says that the government is actually paying 30 hours of childcare costs.

The problem (I think) is that they specifically call it 30 hours free childcare. They should be calling it 30 hours partially subsidised childcare.

The primary school I’m a governor at rents space to a private nursery.

In reality they shouldn't be charging for the funded hours bar a consumables charge eg snacks. They can charge for the additional hours eg only accept 6 hours funded per day so charge for the remaining 4

30 hours extremely heavily subsidised (for parents) childcare.

My bill is going to drop £750 when the free hours kick in.

FWIW, I'm happy to pay whatever it takes for my nursery to survive. £2 sounds pretty good value.

Sounds like that's what they're doing, they've broken the day into funded sessions with an unfunded lunch.

I really don't understand what people want nurseries to do to survive...

I don't think they are allowed to charge anything for the free 15 or 30 hours. I paid 6 for the lunch hour. Our nursery closed due to the funding. They weren't making money with the cost of staffing, the ratio of adults to children, cost of living increases etc.

Apologies, I misread. £2/hour.

It's still just a different way of doing it. Mine charges before 9 and after 3 so most people end up spending some money per day.

They get funding they aren't funded.

But they advertise it as free, and tell parents they are entitled to 30 hours FREE. Wrong of them yes, but it’s totally understandable that some parents will be surprised by the extra costs at first.

gov website says
How you can use 30 hours free childcare.
You can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time).

My daughter is 3 and attends a school nursery for free 9-3 and gets a free hot meal. No complaints about the government from me

Which is understandable as you’re renting to a third party, but where I am, that’s not typically the case with the preschool or nursery classes within schools.
My son is in a class of 30, with one teacher and one TA who are both employees of the primary school. The children wear uniform and use the school facilities in the same way as any other year group.
I’ve genuinely never heard of anyone being asked to pay to attend a nursery setting within a school.

My son's childminder charges a £3 per hour top up plus milage for any trips out. In contrast his pre school does not charge any top ups at all.

There is no extra charge apart for lunch at our school.nursery.
If they are offering funded hours they are not allowed to charge extra unless it is for extras, are they offering anything extra which has to be optional.

Heavily subsisidised for sure. But not free.

I can understand why finding out it's going to cost £200pm more than you expected, is going to be disappointing (and potentially very problematic) for some parents.

I also think the government are being deliberately misleading by calling them free. Call them heavily subsisised. Or reduce the number of hours but increase the subsidy so those (fewer) hours are genunely free.

But don't tell parents they will get 30 free hours if they won't.

As others have said, the government funding just doesn’t cover the cost of a child’s place and schools don’t have the money either to subsidise their nurseries. It’s scary what’s happening in education across all stages!

I'm not in the UK but we get a "pre-school credit" which is a set amount of money contributed towards childcare for the school year before they start Primary school. I think this makes it clearer what you are getting ie £4000 per year to be either spilt over term time only or 12 months.

Hi @Ivybaker123 £2 an hour is a bargain for someone to watch your child - you must be delighted with that price!

It also is allowed, not sure why others have said it’s not. The funding covers childcare. It doesn’t cover equipment, insurance, energy costs etc. You’re bloomin’ lucky to get such a good deal I’d be shouting from the rooftops!

If you don't want it to close down you need to pay.

We know funding doesn't pay enough. I'd shop around and forgo convenience if I needed to save money. Childminders take funding, often do not charge top ups and may do handover at school.

It's not allowed in my LA at least, settings cannot ask parents of funded children to pay a top up fee.

I believe its not allowed by any LA, but what the OP has described is not a top up fee - they are entitled to charge parents an hourly rate.

The funding covers the cost of providing early years education only. The government made that clear. The setting can charge for food, cleaning supplies, nappies, wipes, suncream, drinks, electricity, gas, paint, toys, books, toilet roll, soap...... the list is endless.

They have to charge this to stay in business!